What to Expect When Working With Agents for Writers
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Setting your expectations correctly is a huge part of working with agents for writers, but it can be tough to know what to expect if you aren’t yet published or have connections in the industry. I want to set the record straight about working with literary agents for writers: their role is to sell your revised and polished work to publishers.
The Scope of Working With Agents for Writers
Contrary to popular belief, they are not there to help you develop an idea or provide editorial services on spec, even if they consider themselves editorial agents, and even if some agents for writers offer these career consulting perks. (Though agents can now officially charge for editorial services according to the AAR, there are rules about representing projects that arise from these paid relationships.)
Back when I was an agent, I always enjoyed the editorial process, and working with a manuscript editorially was always part of offering representation. In fact, the editorial work was always my favorite part, and that’s why I started my own freelance editing business in 2013—so I could do more of what I truly enjoyed. Agents for writers don’t just read and edit all the time, they face immense sales pressure, as they earn a commission-based living.
But when agents for writers say that they “love doing editorial work with clients”, it can attract unprofessional writers who aren’t truly ready for the publishing big leagues. They think it’s okay to email queries that say things like:
I'm fed up and don’t want to look at this manuscript again - please help me. I have never written before, so someone needs to make this the best book ever. We can turn this into a bestseller bigger than Twilight and Harry Potter combined, if you write it for me.
These aren’t verbatim questions and comments that I received when I was agenting, but pretty close. That’s why I want to set the record straight on what you can really expect from working with agents for writers.
What Agents for Writers Do: A Clarification
Agents for writers make money by doing one thing: selling books, and entering into a book deal on the writer’s behalf. They can develop projects but writers can’t expect that (even though this development and editorial work is still a huge part of their tacit responsibilities for their existing clients). Additionally, agents for writers do not ghostwrite or work as free critique partners.
Giving editorial feedback is time-consuming and takes a certain level of expertise. But in most cases, unless an agent judges the project is ready to take on submission or can see it getting “submission ready” very soon,, they’re not going to pour their energy into it, especially for free.
When I was an agent, I enjoyed working with my clients to help improve their manuscripts. That didn't mean I was willing to turn a person's ugly duckling into a swan, or that every duckling could eventually become a swan, even with enough revision, writing notes, and self-editing on the writer’s part.
It just meant that I wanted to make sure that their work was the absolute best it could be before I sent it to publishers. But this was often after I had already agreed to represent it, not before. The writers I took on—and this is true of all the agents for writers that I know—had to show up with a manuscript that was 95% complete. If I saw potential, promise and talent in a writer, I would work with them until the project was as close to perfect as possible.
If someone thought that I would fix their project for free, then they were mistaken. That’s not what agents for writers do. Agents realize that they need to be patient—something that many writers struggle with, and an essential writer’s tool you could always develop as you navigate the industry—but they also need to invest their time and energy wisely.
If you feel like you've already looked at your manuscript too much and can't bear to look again, get a critique partner, join a writing group, or hire a freelance editor. If you've never written anything before and want to know if you're doing it correctly, keep writing! But if you want someone who can take your nearly editor-ready piece and sell it, then working with literary agents for writers is the next step.
Agents for Writers and the Diamond in the Rough
I'm sure there have been cases where literary agents for writers have taken talented but rough-around-the-edges projects from a visionary writer and shaped them into a bestseller. In fact, this used to happen a lot more than it does now (because everyone is so overworked and pressed for time). I know, because I was once an agent, and I tried to do that with a few writers.
I thought there was potential in their stories, though admittedly, I was usually in a bit of denial about the true odds of a novel or a writer I liked on a personal level. I even tried to give extensive writing feedback to help them develop their work.
I soon realized however, that many writers lack experience when it comes to revision. And all the writing notes in the world can’t always get a project across the finish line. Agents for writers are there to sell stories, not edit them. Yes, the editing is a wonderful bonus of working with a literary agent, but writers who get an agent should clear a lot of the writing and revision steps by themselves first, and be prepared to execute on the feedback they receive. All that is part of the expectations that agents for writers have of their clients, so the expectations knife cuts both ways. The good news is, every day is another chance to develop your writing skills, and there’s no better time to start than today.
Click here to purchase Writing Irresistible Kidlit, my book on fiction craft for MG and YA novels, out from Writer's Digest Books. This will show you my writing craft philosophy and give you lots of valuable advice, including tips for the novel revision process and self-editing. There are over 35 example novels cited and discussed throughout. It’s a valuable resource for any writer’s toolkit.
Click here to purchase Irresistible Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.
Click here to purchase Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters, my book on interiority and character creation. Explore your protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, reactions and interpretations, expectations, and inner struggles to create a rich, immersive experience. This guide will empower you to create characters who live and breathe on the page, fostering an unbreakable bond with your audience.